


Never Parted

by Beth51276



Category: Doctor Who, Doctor Who & Related Fandoms, Doctor Who (2005)
Genre: Drama, F/M, Family, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-01-02
Updated: 2015-01-02
Packaged: 2018-03-04 22:18:34
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,133
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3093116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Beth51276/pseuds/Beth51276
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Canon altered after Boom Town.  Nine never regenerates and Jack isn't left behind following the Gamestation.  Fluff ensues as the Doctor romances his Rose and our favorite Team TARDIS form a family connection.  Some S2 rewrites (but not all) will take place.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Captain's Log

**Author's Note:**

> Nine never regenerates, and Jack manages to stay with his new friends. Because Christopher Eccleston's portrayal of the Ninth Doctor was too fantastic for words, and because Nine never left Rose in doubt of his love for her.

At first, it was fun to do it just to see how he would respond. Flirting with Rose, that is. After all, early on in my travels with the Doctor and Rose, it was plainly obvious that Rose was off limits. Don't dance with her, don't look at her, and if you know what's good for you, don't touch her. He practically radiated the word " _mine_ " and he likely meant that in a more encompassing way than a human man would. My first evening on the TARDIS, I was warned not to touch anything. It didn't take me very long to find out that the only thing I wasn't really allowed to touch was Rose. I couldn't help but smile at them as he danced with her in the console room. I didn't need the Doctor to give me his alpha male stare over Rose's shoulder to know that he was in love with her and would torture me slowly if I so much as made a move on her.

If you had asked me to point out a picture of the word "love", immediately I would have thought of the image of the Doctor, and the way he was looking at Rose when I teleported them aboard my ship. I wasn't kidding. They weren't even aware they had an audience. They were a couple, even if they weren't sexually intimate.

They obviously had a deep intimacy that wasn't of the bodies, even if they were sharing a bed. The Time Lord obviously didn't sleep much, but I wasn't aware of their sleeping arrangements until I heard Rose crying in the middle of the night. I had no roguish intentions at all when I opened the door to Rose's room and was floored at what I saw.

The Doctor was bare chested but wearing pajama bottoms and was sitting nearly straight up in the bed, cradling Rose. The Time Lord's long fingers carded through her hair and his cheek was pressed to the top of her head as he soothed her. Rose never fully stirred from sleep, instinctively twining her leg with one of his. His book had been laid aside, forgotten. Whatever I had been about to say to comfort Rose died on my lips when I blundered my way into her bedroom.

The Doctor shot me a dark look. "Jack..."

"I swear," I whispered, holding up my hands. "I only heard her crying. I had actually thought of getting you, but she sounded so upset." I had even put on a robe and my trousers on.

"As you see, I have the situation in hand."

"How long has _this_ been going on," I asked, waggling my eyebrows, unable to hide a lascivious grin.

He leveled a stormy gaze at me. "It's not what you think. We've been traveling together for some time, and...she recently had a traumatic experience during one of our travels. She's had nightmares. Go back to bed, Jack."

I nodded, not wishing to disturb our newfound camaraderie. He was actually sharing a part of the life he and Rose had led before they rescued me, even if the details weren't there. So I decided to take this as seriously as he did.

"I'm sure you'll take care of her," I added, without a hint of innuendo. Too bad, really. That bed looked big enough for all three of us. But I think I knew from the beginning that I was their friend, a brother even, but the Doctor and Rose always came first with each other.

I believed him when he said it wasn't what it looked like. So they weren't having sex. It didn't mean they weren't lovers. For a guy like me, sex is just for fun. Just because I have sex with them doesn't mean they're my lover. These two really were so sweet. But you had to know that their relationship status had nothing to do with Rose's wishes. The Doctor had to have been a conflicted man. A Time Lord over 900 years old and a 20 year old girl? He probably felt like the dirtiest old man ever. This would not do. The Doctor probably did not know that he would only hurt Rose in the long term by denying her.

So with the exception of the occasional innuendo, I decided to stop flirting with Rose and the Doctor. I decided that it was my mission in life to see them together. We were heading to Cardiff for a refuel, and Rose was going to hook up with Mickey. Things were bound to get interesting.


	2. Rose

I woke up one morning soon after Jack's arrival to find the Doctor still in my bed. His face was gentle but serious as he held out a cup of coffee. With a wry smile he looked at me and said, "Captain Jack ferreted out our sleeping arrangements."

My eyes went wide in astonishment. "How?"

"You were having a nightmare, Rose. I had already come to bed, but had no plans to sleep, so I decided to read. So I was sitting up with a book when you started to thrash around. Harkness didn't even knock, he just came in your bedroom."

Sipping my coffee gratefully, I chuckled. "I imagine that went over like a lead barrage balloon."

"I'll give him credit, Rose. I don't think he had any nefarious intentions. He heard you crying and he was concerned. He had on more clothing than I did. Can't say I'm sorry your new boyfriend found me here, though."

I swatted his leg. "He's _not_ my boyfriend! Just because I danced with him doesn't mean he's my boyfriend."

"Yeah, you danced with me and I'm not your boyfriend."

I knew that tone. For all of my Time Lord's protests, I could practically smell the testosterone. I covered his hand with mine. "No, you're _much_ more important than that." But fearing I had said too much, revealed too much, I smiled cheekily at him. "Not every girl has their own Time Lord teddy bear."

His lips twitched and then he groused, "I am _not_ a teddy bear."

"Perhaps not, Doctor. But this," I gestured to the bed to indicate our sleeping arrangements, "is better than a teddy bear, and it's even better than dancing."

The truth was simply that we had been sleeping together since Utah. I began to realize how much I meant to him. Adam was sleeping the night away and wasn't even aware of the subtle shift that had taken place in my relationship with the Doctor.

Why had I taken off with barely a second thought with this haunted and conflicted man? I could not help being drawn to him. Nothing had ever happened to me until he took my hand in the basement that night. His touch was almost electric, and I felt a wild, gleeful abandon on the occasions we held hands as we ran like the wind.

In spite of being a bit traumatized by our trip to the end of the world, it didn't take me long to realize why the Doctor had chosen that particular destination. He didn't just need someone to run with. He needed someone to share his battered, lonely soul with. He wanted me to have a very small point of reference. By seeing my own world burn, he had given me a glimpse of his inner conflict at seeing his own world burn. That's why I didn't hesitate to stay with him. I also instinctively knew that in spite of the fact that he was dangerous, that he would never hurt me. I wouldn't be the first girl to find danger thrilling.

But our bond continued to grow. But it wasn't until Utah and the Dalek that he came to my bedroom. I think he wanted to make sure I was still here. I was sitting in my bed, reading a book when I heard him knock. I had never seen him without his usual clothing. But he was completely covered all the same. I could tell he didn't want me to misinterpret his appearance. His face was etched with torment as he dropped to his knees beside me.

He was choking back harsh sobs as he buried his head in my lap. "I almost lost you, Rose. I thought you were dead."

 _"I could save the world but lose you."_ No man has ever looked at me like I'm the only woman in existence. No one but him.

He looked up at me with his beautiful, steel-blue eyes. I stroked his hair and soothed him. I wanted to be nurturing, but truthfully, I would have done anything he wanted. At that moment, it didn't matter that he looked 40, was almost immortal, and was an alien. I had to tamp down the first flickers of a flame in my belly when his eyes met mine.

So I scooted to the side on my bed, drawing my covers up to my chest so he would know I hadn't misinterpreted his intentions and held my arms out to him. He only hesitated for a moment before he did something he had never done before. He cradled my face with one hand and kissed both of my eyelids. Then he curled up next to me and slept. The Time Lord sleeps. At least this one did that night. To tell the truth, I needed the comfort, too. I was frightened for both of us. Frightened for our lives, and frightened for him when I saw the soldier of the Time War with the gun in his hands. If this helped restore some balance in both of us, it was not a sacrifice. After all, we hugged and held hands all the time. Besides, having no hesitations about sharing a bed made things easier in more practical situations.

I smiled at him this morning. I knew he was jealous of Jack. I wasn't too thrilled with Jack at the moment he teleported us. We were so close to a breakthrough at that moment. As he stepped closer to me, his gaze was smoldering and I couldn't stop the tug I felt in my belly.

The Doctor wasn't "pretty", but he was a beautiful man. He made jokes about his ears and his nose, but the complete picture was gorgeous. He had high cheekbones, a beautifully shaped mouth, and his unfathomably gorgeous eyes were ones I never wanted to stop seeing every day. Jack chose that moment to interrupt us. I had to stifle a groan of frustration and refrain from stamping my foot. The dances we shared in the TARDIS later on were more light-hearted, far less intimate than that moment in the hospital.

Reassured that I was still his "plus one" and always would be, he headed for his bedroom to dress for the day, muttering about the never ending tinkering that he did on the TARDIS. We were heading to Cardiff for a refuel and I called Mickey. Maybe a little distance during a trip home would help with feelings that I was having a harder time concealing with each passing day.

I was already dressed and on my way to the kitchen when I ran into Jack and I wondered what he was about. There wasn't even a hint of a leer as he greeted me with a smile, even in the wake of running into one sexy, bare-chested Time Lord in my bedroom in the middle of the night.


	3. The Doctor

She managed to bring home another one. I had narrowly avoided bringing Rickey on board the TARDIS (what possessed me to ever ask in the first place?), and we had easily discarded of that snake in the grass after Satellite Five. But this one, despite his over-the-top roguish demeanor and movie idol good looks was just too much. So far, he hadn't so much as touched Rose.

The worst part is that I actually rather like him. In spite of causing that mess during the Blitz, he proved himself to be brave. He saved Rose, even if he did have to ingratiate himself with her. I think he really cares about her. Not really in a carnal way, although I doubt that intergalactic Lothario would be at opposed at sharing a bed with her occasionally. But then, he's not particular. He's even expressed some interest in me. Let me know when the Slitheen clan takes up yoga. He's not an idiot like Rickey and he's not a sniveling fool like Adam Mitchell. No, Jack Harkness sees right through me. He knows about Rose. Surprisingly enough, I think he understands.

Sometimes I am so angry at myself. Rose is so vibrant, beautiful, young. Between her harpy of a mother and her boyfriend that was never her equal, it stood to reason that she would find our life exciting. It was love at first sight. She was brave, and didn't hesitate to save my life. She's saved me in ways I'm only beginning to learn about. Is it fair for me to stake an unspoken claim? I know that I am possessive of her, protective of her. I think of her as mine, even though I've yet to claim her body. I wonder if she knows I absolutely belong to her.

I wasn't about to admit to Captain Jack that I was the first one to seek out comfort in the night. The business in Utah had unleashed a monster, a monster that I was so afraid I was going to lose Rose to. A monster that wasn't a bloody Dalek, but me. I had thought she was dead. My anger was already boiling over, and I couldn't contain my temper. Then I saw the look on Rose's face when she told me she wouldn't let me kill the Dalek. She asked me what I was changing into.

I had frightened her. So I clung to her fiercely. The first time I buried my head in her lap I wanted to lift up her top and kiss her belly, bare skin to make sure she was really there. I knew she would have given me anything I wanted, even then. But I managed to keep things platonic. But I wanted more...want more. I can't stand the thought of sleeping without her. I spend more time in a bedroom at night than I ever have because I can be with her, watch over her while she sleeps. Sometimes I am astounded at the unmitigated joy I feel with her in my arms at night. Sometimes I don't even wait for her to have a nightmare. I gather her in my arms and stroke her hair. I lose myself in her scent. I tell myself that I am comforting her, because our life is dangerous. We spend so much time running and scurrying for our lives and she needs the catharsis.

Ultimately, we need each other. She loves her mum, naturally. But Jackie will never be able to provide her with what she needs. Rickey certainly won't. All we have is each other. Now, due to no design of my own, we have Jack. I like to glower at him when he's admiring Rose too much, but he's our friend. Deep down, I know that he's honorable enough to respect the boundaries where she's concerned.

I have to admit that I'm not a bit sorry Jack knows about the sleeping arrangements. That only ensures that I'm far less worried about him where Rose is concerned. I'd frankly like to let all of them know that she sleeps in my arms at night. A bit misleading, but pure truth.

Jack was waiting for me this morning after I had brought Rose some coffee. He was silent for a short while, and then swiftly cut to the chase.

"Doctor, you have to take that big step forward."

I didn't even pretend to mistake his meaning. "It's not your business."

"Maybe not yet. But I see the three of us having a special connection, having the potential to have many adventures together. But the sexual tension here is thick enough to cut with a knife, and I mean that in the kindest way. You risk hurting Rose by not crossing that line, Doctor. You risk her heart."

"Jack, let's suppose I was Human. That I was of her time and culture. That I'm not a killer. Even still, I would look at least 20 years her senior, and she's extremely beautiful."

Jack shook his head at me in disbelief. "If she cared about you being an alien, she would never have come with you in the first place. You have brought her into many times and many cultures. If you had to kill, it was because there was no other option, Doctor. That's why you were so thrilled during the Blitz- because you could perform an act of preserving life and no one got hurt or killed."

"Precisely."

"Doctor, I'm going to tell you something from Rose's perspective. She knows all of that about you. She knows a lot more about you than I do, and she still trusts you with her life every day, and sleeps in your arms at night. As for your apparent age, she is extremely attracted to you."

"I've not a clue why."

"Okay, I'm a flexible guy," grinned Jack.

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help chuckling.

"This is what the ladies see, Doctor. They see all of you. You're always talking about pretty boys where Rose is concerned. I think her eyes are only for you. The ladies see a ruggedly sexy man at the height of his looks."

"I wish it were so simple, Jack."

Jack shook his head at me. "It is that simple. She loves you fiercely. She would rather die than leave you behind. You are first and foremost in her life, ahead of everyone else. I know that you're in love with her."

Jack left me to finish my coffee. He was right. I'm in love with her. I've loved her since I first grabbed her hand and told her to run. I've desired her physically since I saw her swing back towards me on that chain when she saved me. She was this brave, beautiful star who didn't hesitate to look for a solution. That was the first time I held her in my arms. She was fantastic. Rickey, on the other hand, was cowering in front of the TARDIS.

I'd rather die than see any harm come to her. I'm a coward. I find solace in her bed, but won't give myself to her completely. I want all of her. She has every other part of me. But the coward in me won't let me claim her.


End file.
